TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— Indiana State University and Thompson Thrift announced a new multi-million dollar partnership that will begin as a fifteen-year partnership in the fall of 2026.
Thompson Thrift will be giving ISU a gift of 1.4 million dollars as well as providing 1.3 million dollars in paid summer internships to qualified students in the construction management program.
The construction management program will also now be called the Thompson Thrift Department of Construction Management in the Bailey College of Engineering and Technology. There will also be a classroom named after Thompson Thrift that will be unveiled in the fall of 2026 as part of the agreement.
Junior and senior students majoring in construction management will be able to apply and earn a $5,000 annual scholarship that is renewable for one year. These scholarships will be given to ten students from Indiana or Illinois that are on-campus students in the construction management program.
CEO and co-founder of Thompson Thrift, John Thompson, said a partnership like this can be very beneficial for the students at ISU.
“I think that ISU has the opportunity to really differentiate themselves by being very career focused by getting kids in internship programs, externship programs, being able to go out and understand what the industry needs,” Thompson said. “I think kids can get a leg up by coming to Indiana State versus other universities that may be teaching more in theory.”
ISU President Mike Godard said this can help students out in a big way financially.
“The generosity that’s there is just going to provide our students with opportunity to earn a degree because without that generosity, a lot of our students can’t continue on their education, because of financial limitations that they may have as a family,” Godard said. “There’s that desire, and that willingness and that drive that a lot of our construction management students have.”
Thompson Thrift has a longstanding connection to ISU with both CEOs and co-founders, John Thompson and Paul Thrift, being ISU alumni and 15% of the Thompson Thrift team being ISU alumni as well.
To learn more about Thompson Thrift just visit their website. To learn more about the Bailey College of Engineering and Technology just visit their website.
